BMW i8 to be sold shortly after BMW i3 debut

BMW i8 is expected to go on sale just weeks after the BMW i3 debut in the second quarter of next year. In an interview …

BMW i8 is expected to go on sale just weeks after the BMW i3 debut in the second quarter of next year.

In an interview for Automotive News, Ludwig Willisch, CEO of BMW of North America, confirmed the news. Willisch also says that more i models will follow. BMW says it has trademarked i1 through i9.

The second model to emerge under the BMW i sub-division is aspun off the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept shown in 2009. Just like the i3 recently unveiled, the 2015 BMW i8 makes extensive use of carbon fiber therefore it only weighs 1450 kilograms, enough to give the hybrid sportscar performance similar to the current M3, in the low 4 seconds from 0 to 62 mph.

The i8 is powered by a 170 horsepower electric motor that drives the front-wheels, coupled with a 1.5 liter 3-cylidner turbocharged petrol engine producing another 223 horsepower. It can go from a front-wheel drive vehicle to a rear-wheel drive one, and even an all-wheel drive setup. In full electric mode, the BMW i8 can travel up to 20 miles.

In the European driving cycle, the BMW i8 is expected to average nearly 80 mpg.

BMW aims to build 10,000 units every year with a base price over 100,000 euros.